If one were to describe the feelings swirling inside Riveria Ljos Alf and Lefiya Viridis in a single phrase, it would be: "This wasn't what we intended."
By the time Riveria and Lefiya realized the gravity of the situation, it was already too late. Even with all its influence, the Loki Familia could no longer contain the exploding chaos.
"What on earth are we supposed to do now...?"
"── Riveria?"
"!! Ais, you're back!!"
"Miss Ais!!"
The girl who appeared before these two exhausted women like a ghost was none other than the golden-haired beauty they knew so well, Ais Wallenstein. However, her expression was not her usual one.
"Why... why didn't you tell me, Riveria?"
●○●○●
"I see. I completely understand."
Al nodded in agreement while listening to Hedin, casually fending off the Elves who were rushing at him like zombies.
To Hedin, the question of whether Al and Riveria were actually in a romantic relationship did not matter in the slightest. However, since the leaders of the Loki Familia—who had sparked this friction—had essentially surrendered, Hedin had to do his best to contain the situation before any unnecessary trouble reached Lady Freya.
Yet, even Hedin had reached the limit of his patience trying to restrain the Elves, who were rioting to defend the dignity of a "High Elf." No matter how famous an adventurer was in Orario, unless they were a High Elf themselves, they could never truly quell the roots of this disorder.
"I never imagined a rumor would spread claiming that Riveria and I are dating."
Al muttered these words as he sat beside Hedin, having finished knocking most of the Elves unconscious. His tone suggested how trivial he found the matter. But for Hedin, who was forced to handle this catastrophe, it was anything but simple.
Because of this man... no, even though this man wasn't at fault this time for a change, the personal hatred toward him remained impossible to suppress. Though he didn't say it aloud, Hedin acknowledged Al Cranel as an adventurer, but he loathed him as a human being to the point of nausea. The thought that this man had been enjoying his time away while Hedin suffered through this ordeal made his blood boil.
"So, you confirm there is no truth to these rumors."
"Of course."
Al answered simply, seemingly oblivious to Hedin's internal struggle. Hedin let out a silent sigh of relief. With this, he had the evidence needed to temporarily calm the storm.
Finn, who was not an Elf, could do nothing. Riveria, whose every word was misinterpreted as an attempt to hide her embarrassment, had also failed. But if the other party in the rumor, Al, joined in denying it, the Elves' rage might subside a little.
However, contrary to Hedin's expectations, Al said coldly:
"Well, I'm going to run away until things quiet down, so I'll leave the rest to you."
"Huh?"
"Goodbye."
Al left those words behind and vanished instantly. His speed—leaving not even an afterimage—was abnormal by any standard, but there was no time to dwell on that. Hedin froze, his face a mask of shock at this blatant escape. Seconds later, he snapped out of it and rushed to pursue him.
But Al was already far away. Catching a man who boasted of being the fastest in the city was a feat only someone like Allen could achieve using magic. Hedin felt a surge of fury and let out an angry growl. He watched as Al, one of the strongest men in the city, shamelessly fled without a shred of the pride characteristic of first-class adventurers. He then muttered under his breath, wearing a mask of rage that no one would have expected from his previously exhausted face:
"That man... just how much does he intend to burden me... how much will he tire my hands with his childishness!!"
●○●○●
The Middle Floors of the Dungeon.
Here, the power of monsters that suddenly appear spikes significantly, and their numbers and quality increase compared to the Upper Floors. Between the 19th and 24th floors lies the vast green forest region known as the Labyrinth of the Great Tree.
The floors and walls are covered in hard wooden bark, with branches and leaves spreading densely, while bioluminescent blue-green moss lights the area in place of sunlight. Strange ferns, non-existent on the surface, grow everywhere, and flowers with shimmering petals create a mesmerizing, fantastical space. It is a dangerous zone that only a team of professional Level 2 adventurers can navigate.
In the middle of this dense forest, a small shadow was running. The entity panted heavily, looking back every now and then to ensure no one was following, desperately trying to escape. It was a small, slender body that looked like a young girl, but her skin was an unnervingly pale white, like a wandering ghost.
Scales grew sporadically on her body, hidden behind beautiful long hair that reached her waist. Two large leathery wings protruded from her back. Embedded in her forehead was a beautiful red stone, confirming beyond a doubt that she was not human. Despite her monstrous appearance, her face held a childlike innocence that would stir guilt in anyone who saw her.
Her body was covered in numerous deep cuts, and blood seeped from them continuously. Tears streamed from her amber eyes, and the sound of pain filled her heavy, ragged breathing.
"Hah... hah...! Agh...!"
She ran while fighting the pain. Stepping on the ground stained with her own blood, she dragged her wounded body forward, forcing her legs to move with all her strength. Finally, her strength failed. Her legs gave way, and she fell hard to the ground.
"Ah!?"
Her back hit the ground with such force that she lost her breath for a moment. Why did this happen? she wondered silently as her vision blurred with tears.
Why?
The words, directed at no one, vanished into the air. She cried, even though she was a monster supposed to lack human emotions. Her eyes overflowed with tears of both sorrow and confusion. She sobbed loudly like a small child, appearing as a fragile being that had nothing to do with monsters. The large tears falling from her amber eyes hit the ground and vanished.
She trembled as she wept, still not understanding what had happened to her body.
"Why... how did this happen...?"
She was alone in this vast labyrinth. She was born from the labyrinth walls like all other monsters, but she had been an outcast from the moment of her birth. She didn't know why. She possessed memories of scenes she had never witnessed—sights of a place that felt strangely familiar. Because of those memories, her fellow monsters rejected her. She lived in the terror of solitude, and to her, the world was filled only with enemies.
It happened when she was attacked by a Bugbear—the first living creature she had met besides herself. At first, she didn't realize what was happening. When she regained consciousness, she found large claw marks on her shoulder, with blood erupting from the wound. Initially, she felt relief, thinking it was a being like her. She asked, "Where am I?", but the response was a brutal, merciless blow.
There was no pity in the hand that struck her. Even after she escaped, monsters of all kinds continued to hunt her. With every encounter, her wounds grew, and with them, the certainty that she was utterly alone.
As she drifted toward unconsciousness from exhaustion and blood loss, she saw beings different from any monster she had seen. A male and a female walking on two legs with pointed ears. Both wore equipment, which set them apart from monsters. She saw how they protected each other and felt an indescribable longing. She reached out her hand, saying, "Help me," thinking they would accept her.
But.
The response was a terror exceeding her own—a flash of a sword. She was met with intense hostility and fear born of their intelligence; she was rejected. Tears streamed from her eyes as she fled desperately, clutching her wound.
I'm scared. I'm alone. Please, someone stay by my side.
Carrying this painful wish, she continued forward, driven only by the desire to survive. Why did all this happen? Why was she here? Who was she? Although everything was a mystery, she kept running on the instinct of survival alone. She faced several more encounters with monsters that deepened her wounds, and she kept asking herself the same questions.
Once, she encountered a group of humans whose eyes showed neither hostility nor disgust, but a vile, ugly desire toward her beautiful appearance. It was a feeling that terrified her more than death itself. She felt a blood-chilling fear from the hands that reached toward her with raw lust, so she fled with all her might.
As she wandered through the labyrinth filled with enemies, she gradually stopped thinking. Thinking only increased her fear and pain. Finally, she reached her limit and fell unconscious. Her body lay motionless on the ground, her breath weak and erratic. She trembled at the distant roars of monsters, but her dying body would no longer respond.
Suddenly, the sound of approaching footsteps reached her ears. Her body shook with terror; the approaching aura was human. She sat there trembling, unable to move. Through her tear-blurred vision, a figure appeared and growled in a low voice:
".... A Vouivre?"
── And today, the outcast girl met her fate.
●○●○●
The Lower Floors of the Dungeon, the 25th Floor.
This is the aquatic floor that adventurers call the Water Capital. Waterfalls and torrential currents flow everywhere, making the humidity high and the moss-covered rocks extremely slippery. Ruby-colored waterfalls, hundreds of meters long, pierce through several floors and collapse with a thunderous roar, creating a mist so thick it acts as a fatal blindfold for adventurers.
A massive amount of water, unimaginable within a labyrinth, thick fog that obscures vision, and the sound of waterfalls that renders hearing useless. Deep beneath that blue water surface, a giant shadow was submerged. Suddenly, the lake surface, which rippled like the sea, rose with explosive speed. From its center emerged a monster resembling a giant serpent.
It exceeded twenty meters in length. Its scales were blue, and thick veins pulsed across its body as if they were alive. Its serpent-like head was split into two, with rows of sharp fangs in its open mouths.
── It was the Two-Headed Floor Boss, Amphisbaena.
The two-headed dragon rose from the bottom of the lake, staring at its surroundings with the eyes in each head. It was a mobile Floor Boss with a body that could not be compared even to giant monsters. Its grey-white scales gave it an air of dignity, and its presence as a member of the dragon race—the strongest species of monsters—was overwhelming.
It possessed an impregnable defense thanks to its massive scales that acted like large shields, immense vitality due to its giant body, and a mobility that allowed it to glide over the water. All these features made it worthy of the title King of Monsters, but the dragon's greatest weapon was none of the above.
It was the Dragon Breath. The strongest means of attack in all ancient and modern legends of the mightiest monsters. It was the raging hellfire that erupted from its powerful jaws. Because of its water-repellent property, its blue flames burned on the water surface just as they did on land, never extinguishing until everything was incinerated.
Combined with the mist that scrambled magic, this monster was a perfect balance of offense and defense. With magic-resistant scales and blue flames of immense destructive power, it was a true monster among monsters. It was the strongest dragon of the Lower Floors, defeatable only by a massive team including first-class adventurers. If a second-class team encountered it in a tight space, their annihilation was certain.
Its power on land, where it cannot swim, is equivalent to a high-tier Level 5. However, in the aquatic combat at which it excels, its estimated level by the Guild is Level 6, rivaling the Deep Floor Boss Udaeus.
"────── Oaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!"
A terrifying roar, like the sound of a shattered bell, echoed throughout the floor, making the air tremble. Blue fire seeped from its mouth as if it were savoring the scent of coming death. Intense killing intent mixed with crushing pressure flooded the area, and the thick scent of death filled the air.
But this dragon had no "luck." Because, by its terrible misfortune...
"Shut up."
It had encountered the Sword Saint, an opponent with whom it was completely incompatible. Furthermore, there were no humans around for whom Al had to maintain a facade.
A silver flash. The dragon's body was cleaved.
The Floor Boss was killed the moment it appeared. Attempting to kill a Floor Boss every time it respawns to obtain rare items is an incredibly difficult and unrealistic task, but for this man, it wasn't that hard. The sound of the strike echoed like a thunderclap throughout the floor. Amphisbaena died in the blink of an eye after its magic stone—its heart—was split along with its giant body. The breath's fuel tank exploded; blue flames flared violently for a moment and then died out instantly.
On the water's edge, where the raging monsters had been eliminated, the sound of singing drifted from somewhere. it was a beautiful voice, ill-suited for the Dungeon, carrying a tone both sad and joyful.
Al followed the sound through the noise of the water. Soon, a mermaid sitting on a blue crystal came into view. She wore an outfit resembling a dancer's that showed her white skin, with green hair reaching her shoulders and blue eyes.
"Al!!"
"Hello, Marie."
The face of the mermaid girl—Marie—lit up with a transparent beauty unlike any monster. She rushed to embrace him tightly, opening her arms wide. Al received her as she clung to him like a child and said with a faint smile:
"Can you hide me for a bit?"
"Hide you?"
"I tried going to the Dian Cecht Familia, but they kicked me out, saying 'Don't come here if you aren't injured'..."
"They kicked you out?"
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Al's skill, Reave Yggdrasil, is a trump card equivalent to Ottar's beastification or Finn's magic spear. However, it is characterized by immense, instantaneous explosive power at the cost of zero sustainability. Thus, it can be a trump card but does not serve as a "last resort" in many situations.
In addition to its terrifying power, it requires a very long incantation. Al's current level barely allows him to control its energy, so attempting to use it with "Concurrent Chanting" could lead to self-destruction from a magical energy explosion. For this reason, Al rarely includes it in his combat power analysis due to the difficulty of use.
── This is the excuse Al uses to avoid utilizing the "Third Magic" in front of people as much as possible.
The reason mainly lies in the second half of the incantation formula (which he was unable to complete against Enyo). While his excuse isn't entirely wrong, the difference is that the trump cards of other warriors are absolute self-buffs, while Al's magic is a single finishing strike similar to Alfia's magic. Thus, the way it is used differs; it is a very effective trump card in specific situations.
Nonetheless, the fact remains that it is not easy to use, so opportunities to utilize it are very few. He has only used it in front of people three times so far. In two of those instances, he had to receive care from the "Saint" after use.
By the way, the best way to utilize Al is to exploit his speed to break through enemy lines, and after exhausting their resources, he detonates the "Third Magic" in the heart of their formation (a human bullet that always returns).
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[100 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter]
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